Tag: Air Strikes

Reuters reports that “Syrian state media accused Israel of launching missiles at a target near Damascus on Tuesday, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was quitting the Iranian nuclear deal, a move that had prompted Israel to go on high alert.… Be Informed

The NBC has reported that three American officials confirmed to the newsroom that Israel, using F-15 fighter jets, conducted the airstrike on an allegedly Iranian-controlled military base in northern Syria this week. This is the latest development in the increasingly public fight between Tehran and Jerusalem.… Be Informed

There are fresh reports of missile attacks on Syria. The Syrian news agency SANA, reports that material damage was caused due to terrorist rocket attacks that hit Baba Amro neighbourhood and al-Mashrfa village in Homs.

Sana said that “terrorist groups positioned in the northern countryside of Homs fired three rocket shells on al-Mashrfa village, causing only material damage to properties.… Be Informed

Theresa May told MPs that there was clear evidence that the Assad government was behind the Douma chemical weapons attack and it was “legally and morally right” for the UK to join air strikes against the Syrian regime to prevent “further human suffering”.… Be Informed

Russia said that chemical weapons inspectors in Syria will be permitted to visit the site of an alleged chemical attack, on Wednesday. A representative of Russia’s military said late Monday that OPCW inspectors would be permitted to travel to Douma on Wednesday.… Be Informed

In a letter published on Sunday’s edition of Il Corriere Della Sera, Silvio Berlusconi said that faced with a complex and dramatic situation such as that which has been determined in Syria, Italy would need as soon as possible a government in the fullness of its powers: not any government, with any parliamentary majority, but an authoritative government internationally and internationally, an interlocutor recognised and able to make himself heard of the major powers .… Be Informed

In his first comments since the missile attacks on Syria by the United States, Britain and France, Pope Francis said on Sunday, April 15, that he is deeply disturbed by the present world situation, in which notwithstanding the instruments at the disposition of the international community, it struggles to agree on a common action in favour of peace in Syria and in other regions of the world.… Be Informed

France 24 reports that Macron drew criticism Saturday from the far-left to the far-right. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted that the strikes expose France to “unpredictable and potentially dramatic consequences,” and criticised Macron for not taking an “independent” stance.

Florian Philippot, former right-hand man to Marine Le Pen and now president of new political party Les Patriotes, was blunter in his assessment: “President Macron is reducing our country to the role of subordinate partner to the Americans… The French people… must rise up against this belligerent action by President Macron, who is becoming more and more to Donald Trump what Tony Blair was to George W.Bush.”

Far left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon also denounced France’s participation on Twitter, calling the strikes an “irresponsible escalation” that did not have European or French parliament support.… Be Informed

CNN reports that the United States, the United Kingdom and France are pushing for an “irreversible” end to Syria’s chemical weapons program, amid furious recriminations from Russia over the effectiveness and legality of a wave of US-led missile strikes on Syrian targets.

There is a very simple reason why it was right for the UK to join our closest allies in launching strikes against the Assad military machine. This is about our collective future. It is about the kind of world we want our children to grow up in. … Be Informed

Air strikes on Syria were legally justified on humanitarian grounds, government documents say. The British Government published the legal position document it had, and which led to the air strikes.

The document claim that in the circumstances, and as an exceptional measure on grounds of overwhelming humanitarian necessity, military intervention to strike carefully considered, specifically identified targets in order effectively to alleviate humanitarian distress by degrading the Syrian regime’s chemical weapons capability and deterring further chemical weapons attacks was necessary and proportionate and therefore legally justifiable.… Be Informed

A chorus of voices across the American political spectrum expressed support for Trump’s latest strikes, but criticised the lack of a broader U.S. Syria strategy that could end the seven-year war – with or without Assad.

Commentators questioned the message behind the latest strike – which signalled that Western allies would not let a chemical weapons attack go without punishment – but demurred about deeper involvement when barrel bombs by the Assad government kill far greater numbers of Syrians.… Be Informed

In a rather unprecedented move, one of the allies which took part in last night’s air strikes on Syria, published the intelligence reports on the basis of which decisions were taken.

The report concludes that “On the basis of the overall assessment and on the intelligence collected by our (French) services, and in the absence to date of chemical samples analysed by our own laboratories, France therefore considers (i) that, beyond possible doubt, a chemical attack was carried out against civilians at Douma on 7 April 2018; and (ii) that there is no plausible scenario other than that of an attack by Syrian armed forces as part of a wider offensive in the Eastern Ghouta enclave.… Be Informed

The aim of the Air Strikes on Syria was to significantly impact the Syrian regimes ability to develop, deploy and use chemical weapons in the future. 105 weapons against three targets were used specifically for this aim. During a briefing at the Pentagon, Lt.… Be Informed

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that Italy did not participate in the attack in Syria. According to news agency ANSA, Gentiloni said that the Italian Government insisted and clarified that the logistical support we provide to the United States, in this regard, could not in any way translate into the fact where the direct actions aimed at to hit Syria leave from the Italian territory.… Be Informed

Beijing has voiced opposition to US-led airstrikes against Syrian military targets and called for talks. It also claimed that the operation had complicated the Syrian crisis and efforts to find a solution.

“Any unilateral military action violates the United Nations charter and its principles and international law and its principles.… Be Informed

Syria’s Foreign Ministry described the joint US, UK and French airstrikes as a “flagrant violation of international law and the principals of UN charter.”

Syria called on the international community to strongly condemn this aggression, which will lead to nothing but the igniting of tensions around the world and pose a threat to international peace and security as a whole,” the Ministry said.… Be Informed

CNN reports that following the trilateral airstrikes launched in Syria, a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) will be held Saturday afternoon, a NATO official tells CNN. France, the United Kingdom and the United States will brief allies on actions taken in Syria, the official said.… Be Informed

The President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker issued the following statement.

Last night, France, the United Kingdom and the United States responded in a coordinated military action to the heinous chemical weapons attack carried out by the Syrian regime against civilians in Douma on 7 April.… Be Informed